Alberto Alicata was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1983. He studied at the Roman School of Photography and Film in Rome and now lives between Sicily and Rome. His work spans the realms of Fashion, Portraits and Fine Art. He has been published in magazines such as Wired, the Guardian, Telegraph, Internazionale, CBS, Corriere della Sera, American Photo, Photo.fr and il Fotografo.
In 2016 he won the Professional Staged Category at the Sony World Photography Awards with his series ‘Iconic B’.
Hi Alberto. Thanks for chatting with us. Why photography?
Photography is the most powerful tool I have to express and bring to realisation what goes through my head. It’s also what I do best.
Tell us more about your successful series from the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
‘Iconic B’ covers a history of iconic images by some of the great masters of fashion photography from the last sixty years. I used Barbie as my subject as a symbol of contemporary Western culture. I tried to make Barbie the star of my work. I have always been fascinated by fashion photography and the genre is a part of my cultural background. I still find Bourdin, Avedon or Lachapelle’s photographs striking today. Those images are so iconic and they are part of our visual memory.
After selecting my reference image, I start a period of research that can last up to a few weeks, to understand everything I’ll need in order to recreate the same photographic set, but on a much smaller scale, being very careful about all the details.
What makes a great portrait?
This is hard. I do have specific ideas of what a good portrait may consist of, but I am often amazed at the portraits I come across that do not abide by any of these “rules.” Good art is made up of many things, and this question can almost never really be answered, at least not with any certainty. I believe many things go into the creation of a good image. But sometimes, nothing at all, except luck and patience.
I think for a portrait to be great it needs to say more about the maker of the image than the subject. Vulnerability and awkwardness are access points for the viewer, and a suggestion of real humanity is essential.
Do you have a photographic philosophy?
Culture in general is my philosophy. History, art, current affairs; to be good photographers I believe you need good education in all disciplines, to see and learn about the world in all its facets. Be hungry of knowledge.
Where in the world are you and what's next for you?
I am now in Palermo, finishing my new project by the end December. I am hoping to participate in the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards. I'm always on the move between Palermo, Rome and Milan.
albertoalicata.com
worldphoto.org/swpa
